Thursday, April 21, 2011

Still.... Seeking Spring... Desperately

Guess what April showers have brought this year?
April SNOW!!

It has been spitting snow off and on, and everyone seems to be getting really tired of it. I was just at a meeting with a colleague who had dressed in well-coordinated, pretty pastels and then had to dig out her winter jacket. Fortunately, not all spring colors have to be covered over. The crocuses don't seem to mind the weather at all.

I snapped this shot of the crocuses near my office, not in my own garden. But I have spotted a few signs of spring from my garden, which I'd like to share with you:

Chives - These start growing immediately after the snowpack melts off, and cold weather doesn't bother this herb at all.

Daylilies - Even though they won't bloom until the summer, their green leaves pop up almost as fast as the chives.

Blueberries, lilacs, and crabapple - The buds are starting to show a little bit of green. And there was a small flock of juncos frolicking in the lilac hedge this morning.

I'll leave you with a recipe for a refreshing beverage that will get you excited about spring. Even if the weather seems more like winter.

Lemonade with Maple Syrup

1) Dig through your produce drawer and pull the lemons from underneath the parsnips, onions and other root vegetables. They are under there somewhere... I promise.

2) Juice the lemons into a pitcher and try to get as much pulp out into the pitcher. If there is not too much pith, you can peel the lemon and throw the pulp into the food processor.

3) Pour in maple syrup and stir up it well. Add water and ice cubes. Take a few taster sips to adjust the sweetness and intensity to your liking.

2 comments:

Thanks for your comment over on Two little cabbages & cie. I'm glad to "meet" a friend of Pat C. and to discover your blog too. My parents are here visiting (where it is in the 70s and everything's blooming!) and they brought us some Vermont maple syrup. I'm going to try out your lemonade, it sounds delicious!